Illustrations of Fungi—XIII

Abstract

The accompanying plate illustrates several species of boletes collected either near Bronx Park, New York City, or in the vicinity of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. These are fleshy fungi with tubes instead of gills, usually occurring on the ground in woods during late summer and autumn. They are difficult to distinguish, even in the fresh state, and when the large amount of water they contain is eliminated the dried specimens bear little resemblance to the originals. Many of the best edible fungi in temperate regions belong to this group, and the dangers of being poisoned are relatively small. Species with bitter or otherwise objectionable taste should be avoided, and especially all plants having red or reddish tubemouths. The sensitive bolete, which promptly turns blue when touched or broken, has also caused mild poisoning in some cases. Many species have not been thoroughly tested, however; hence it is wise to eat sparingly of all such plants until well known. For a complete treatment of the Boletaceae known to occur in this country, the student is referred to NORTH AMERICAN FLORA, volume 9, part 3, where the species are fully described and arranged under eleven genera with specific keys.